Reputation is everything, why does the SA government seem not to care about its reputation?
Reputation is the views and opinions others have about a thing or someone. Having a positive reputation drives others to have trust in you and the benefits of being trusted are countless.
Companies can earn more clients and grow revenue with a positive brand reputation. Similarly, individuals with a positive personal brand reputation are trusted and are often recommended for good opportunities.
Thus, building and maintaining a positive reputation is vital for success.
Since reputation is a valuable currency that can take years and considerable effort to build, some questionable individuals would take short cuts and even deceive to fake having a positive reputation.
The phenomenon of faking professional qualifications is one example of the lengths some people would go to in attempts to gain a positive reputation. Having acquired a certain level of education causes one to be viewed positively in society thereby enhancing one’s reputation and career prospects.
Education has the capacity to change the status quo and transform the socio-economic standard of an individual or any family. In the South African context, just as it is the case with other countries, professional qualifications alone have gravitas, and once acquired they are regarded as a symbol of success and achievement.
The recent story of so called “Dr” Matthews, who was confirmed by the University of the Witwatersrand last week that his claims to have a bachelor in medicine was not true, is a case in point.
His qualification was fake. He claimed on social media platforms to have graduated with a medical degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and he was practising as a medical doctor.
The university confirmed that he was not on its records as having graduated from there. This triggered the Department of Basic Education to also check for him on their records and they discovered that he didn’t have matric either. Yet he had been able to fool thousands of people and gained a positive reputation and profile socially.
Unfortunately, this is not the first case of fake educational qualifications. It happens far too often.
In the past we saw high-profile individuals such as Johnny Molefe, Pallo Jordan, and Carl Niehaus. These individuals held influential positions and enjoyed high societal regard but it turned out that their claimed qualifications were questionable.
Sadly, these individuals always get found out and loose the very reputation they so desired, along with all the undue benefits they would have acquired.
Companies also spend millions on marketing and communication to manage perceptions about their products, services and brands. The growth of social media platforms and their influence have seen companies hiring professional content creators to manage their brand presence on all these platforms, thereby engaging positively with customers and stakeholders.
One then wonders if individuals and companies would go to great lengths to ensure they have a positive reputation, why does it seem that our government doesn’t care about theirs?
The manner in which state-owned entities are managed gives the impression that political heads are not bothered about the now entrenched reputation of corruption, poor performance, interference and mismanagement in government-owned companies.
Last week both Eskom and Transnet, our crucial state-owned enterprises in driving economic development, saw some disturbing leadership resignations that send a message of instability at these entities.
Eskom’s board chairman, Mpho Makwana, quietly walked away after having served just more than a year in the position. This happens in the middle of trying to fix the biggest energy crisis yet.
Former chairman of Transnet, Popo Molefe, did the same, along with the CEO Portia Derby, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Nonkululeko Dlamini and Transnet Rail CEO Siza Mzimela.
In a normal company that respects its shareholders and care what their customers think, these developments would be sending shocking waves and shareholders would be demanding answers.
Yet here we are as South Africans feeling helpless at how our state companies are run. We watch as the minister responsible for both entities, Minister Pravin Gordhan, simply issues a statement that replacements will be found and it’s business as usual.
Could this be the growing disconnect between the ruling elites and those they govern that former president Thabo Mbeki was referring to in his speech at the memorial service of our Struggle veteran Aziz Pahad?
If this is the growing disconnect, what does it mean for the capacity of the state to drive our transformation agenda? Can we trust the state to secure the future of our children?
Professionals must stand up and be counted. We can no longer afford to be bystanders in how the country is governed and its resources are managed. We have a duty to use our skills to exercise activism in all corners we occupy. Liyemuka izwe, nqandani!
Dr Sibongile Vilakazi is the president of the Black Management Forum.
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